Hadrian's Plague
by Mythicalnightguard
Summary: Life has been wonderful since Marcus and Esca's return from the other side of the Wall. But, their peaceful existence is about to be shattered by a terrible plague that turns men to flesh-eating beasts has come from the stars. With the help of a man perceived to be a god (the Doctor) the two join together once again to save not only Rome, but the world for centuries to come.
1. Before the Storm

Curse that festering old wound, which constantly throbbed no matter what he did. No matter what he was doing, whether it be working in his field, tending to his horses, or playing a friendly game of catch with his friend. Whatever it might bay, that leg made him limp like an injured dog; and made him feel as useless as a lame horse.

He could, at least, thank the gods that he could somewhat walk. After the gruelling march north of the Hadrian's Wall, he had been sure he would never walk again. Of course, Esca would never allow for that to happen. Not if it meant he was stuck with all the farm work.

Marcus sighed. He rolled back,his shoulders, hefting the pitchfork into his hand. The horses would not feed themselves.

"Uncle Marcus!"

Marcus paused, hay halfway over the horses' fence. The two stallions, and the steed, snorted at him, as if to scold him for pausing in his chore to feed them.

"Hmmmmm…" Marcus hummed, scratching his chin. "Did I hear a little voice call my name?"

A giggle, and a rustle in the pile of hay beside him. "Noooooo."

Marcus smiled. He narrowed his eyes, silently leaning the pitchfork against the wooden wall of the stable.

"Well, if no one called for me, I guess I'll just leave…." He reached into the pouch hanging from his waist, pulling from it a fresh apple. "...and let the horses eat this delicious, succulent apple."

The giggling pursued. Marcus set the apple on the stump he used to chop firewood, and grinned. With silent feet, he tiptoed behind the crates of eggs, and waited.

A wild head of red curls popped out of the hay. The amber eyes of a little girl looked around, checking that there was no Marcus in sight. She stepped from the hay, reaching for the apple.

"Raaaaah!"

The little girl squealed as Marcus sprang at her, scooping her into his arms. She laughed and screeched, wriggling in his gasp.

"Were you trying to steal my apple?" Marcus asked with a grin.

"Noo!" The little girl laughed, finally wriggling free. "Not meeee!"

"Huh." Marcus scratched his chin. "I could have sworn you were about to snatch my apple from the stump. But, certainly, you'd never do something like that to me, right?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, Uncle Marcus. I never would."

Before Marcus could reply, a blur of motion passed his sight. The apple, which had been on the stump, was now in the hands of his long-time friend, Esca.

"But I would." Esca said with a grin. He bit into the apple with a juicy crunch.

Marcus gave his friend a playful glare. "Is it you she gets it from, my friend?"

"Maybe." Esca mumbled with his mouth full. He swallowed. "Or maybe her mother, I don't know."

"A bit of both?" Marcus asked, a smirk across his face.

"More her mother."

"What did you give me, Uncle Marcus?" The little girl was clinging to her father, looking up at her uncle.

Marcus smiled. He knelt in front of her, wincing at the twang in his leg. "Protection. A place to live. A future, Ari. A future that will see you grow strong, safe behind the Wall, in the loving arms of your father and mother, and beneath the protection of my blade."

Ari's eyes widened with wonder. She looked up at her father. "Is this true?"

Esca ran his fingers through her wild hair. "This is true; and for it, we are grateful. But, only,for a moment."

Marcus frowned. "A moment?"

Silence. Esca knelt beside his daughter, moving the hair from her ear. He whispered. "Go to your mother, Ari. Uncle Marcus and I must talk."

"Awww! Can't I stay with you and him, Father?" Ari whined.

"I'm afraid not, little one."

"I could hide in the hay!"

Esca sighed, gently laying his hands on her shoulders. "Why don't you ask your mother if you can help make breakfast? I think we would both like that. What do you think, Marcus?"

Marcus, who had been submerged by his thoughts, quickly looked up. "What?"

"Food, Marcus."

Marcus smirked, albeit forced. "That would be divine, considering the fate of my apple."

Esca looked down at the apple at his feet. He kicked it into the horse pen.

"Okay!" With a giggle, Ari raced away, around the barn and into the small villa.

Marcus watched her as she ran off, a warm feeling in his heart. Although she was not his child, he loved her like his own. She was the child he wished he could have one day; but that would never happen. Not with his leg. He had learned long ago that no one wants a crippled, disgraced soldier.

Since there was no chance of having a family,of his own, Ari, her mother Catia, and her father had become his family. They were all he needed.

He sighed. "Your family, Esca...it is beautiful. I can only dream of one such as yours."

"It isn't too late, Marcus." Esca patted his friend's shoulder. "You can still have one."

"No." Marcus shook his head with a sigh. "You know I can't, Esca."

"Why not?"

Marcus gazed at his friend, sharing a weary look. "I just can't do it. No woman would want me- and why would they? Look at me, Esca," He lifted his arms, gesturing to himself. "Look at me and tell me what you see."

"I see a brave, noble, handsome Roman, who is compassionate, if not a little too serious, and who loves those he cares for fiercely enough to die for them. I see a man who can stand up to injustice, who defies all the evils a Roman is meant to stand for. But most of all, Marcus, I see a man who is willing to trust, and to forgive, and to open his home to likes of me. Any woman who can not see that is either dead or blind."

Marcus shook his head. He understood what his friend was saying, but he could not be convinced otherwise. "Even if I could have a family of my own, I could not support them. I can scarce support you and yours. In fact-"

"That is what we need to discuss." Esca interrupted him.

Marcus frowned. "What is there to be discussed? We struggle, yes, but we still live."

"I know, but…" Esca sighed. He bowed his head, refusing to meet his friend's gaze. "Marcus, sit."

"I'll stand."

Esca sighed again. There was no easy way to put what he was about to say. He hoped Marcus would understand- he had to.

"Marcus," He began, shuffling his feet. "Do you remember Halosaurus, my father-in-law?"

Marcus made a huffing sound, crossing his arms. "Yes, I remember him. He spent the entire evening meal talking about his tribe's glory days and how he has been leading his people away from Rome- I think he forgot I was there."

Esca winced. "Marcus, he offered us a home- a place amongst the tribe, to call our own." He paused. He watched his friend, waiting for him to speak. Instead, Marcus said nothing. "Marcus...Catia and I want Ari to grow up among her own kind. We want her to learn the ways of the tribes, to discover her roots. We want her to be the master of her own fate, not a citizen of Rome."

Marcus was silent. He stared at Esca, his disbelief growing inside of him. How could this be? How could Esca want to leave him?

"Marcus…"

"No," Marcus raised his hand, cutting him off. "I understand. You want to leave me, for people you claim to be your own but who are no blood of yours."

Esca winced. "No, Marcus, it's not that. I want to raise my family in a familiar climate. Ari deserves a better future than what she will have here."

"You want to take her away to the tribes? To those dangerous lands?"

"Halosaurus lives within the Wall-"

"And you want her to grow up without knowing Rome, without reaping its benefits, without me?"

"No, that's not what I-"

Marcus narrowed his eyes, a bitter feeling rising in his gut. "You want to be a savage again?"

"Silence!" Esca's shout split the morning air. "I am no savage!"

Marcus fell silent, turning sharply away. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say. Maybe he was being selfish. But without Esca and his family, what was left for him to live for?

"I am taking my family and leaving to a place where we can live free!" Esca continued to shout, despite his friend's clear reluctance to fight.

"If you take them there, one day, they will rise." Marcus whispered. "As a tribe, they will be crushed- they will live a much freer life where they are now." He looked at him. "I can not let you leave."

Esca grabbed Marcus by his collar, glaring into his eyes. "You are not my master, and I am not your slave! I am a free man who can make his own decisions! You have no say!"

"Then why would you bring it up!?" Marcus finally snapped, nearly throwing Esca off of him. "Just go- GO! Go and leave behind everything I have done for you, everything I have tried to provide for you, everything I have sacrificed to ensure that you and your family lived the best possible life! I gave up everything- everything, Esca!- and you know damn well how much I've sacrificed for you. And for what? For you to take advantage of me and leave? For you to take the only family I have ever had?"

"They are MY family!" Esca snarled, crouching as if to attack. "Not yours!"

"I'm not talking about your family, Esca, I'm talking about you!"

If Esca were to listen, he would have heard the feeling behind his friend's desperate shout. But, in his anger, he was too proud to hear anything he had to say. Instead, he stalked out of the barn, leaving Marcus to fall onto the stump, his head in his hands, betrayed.


	2. Flesh-Eaters

Marcus paced beside the cart, his mind a tumbling mess of thoughts, his heart about to burst with feelings. He felt anger, fear, and betrayal. Anger at his friend, for wanting to leave him; but, mainly, anger at himself for fighting with him, and for the things he had said. He had not meant to say the things that had left his mouth. In no way was it his intention to call Esca a savage- nor was it his place to help what he could and could not do.

Of course, he was also afraid. Not only did the morning's fight shaken him, it had also reminded him of just how fragile his and Esca's friendship could be. It reminded him of their fight in the mountains, years earlier when they had searched for the lost Eagle. Based on both the past and the previous fight, and Esca's attitude after them, it seemed to Marcus that he could easily lose his friendship. And that frightened him.

But, most of all, he felt betrayed. He could understand Esca's argument, but what about his own feelings? Esca was the only person he had ever allowed close to him. The fact that Esca wanted to leave him tore at his heart, the same way a child might tear the threads from a woolen tunic. How could someone he trusted so much, someone he loved like his own brother, someone he adored leave him?

All these thoughts and feeling churned inside of him like a storm, tossing his tired mind as if it were a ship on a stormy sea.

The slamming of the front door brought his mind back to the current state of things. Esca was walking down the steps of the villa, his wool cape slung over his shoulder. The door opened again, Catia's face gazing out at the two of them, with a look that was undecipherable to Marcus. She said something to her husband in their own language, to which Esca simply turned to her and nodded.

Marcus hated it when Esca spoke in that language- he never knew what was being said.

Esca walked to the cart, testing the tethers on the oxen.

"They're tight enough," Marcus said, before he could even speak.

"They're nicely tight." Esca replied.

Marcus tried to pick up on his feelings, but could detect nothing but a brick wall between him and his friend. It hurt him inside. Once, he could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. But now, he could see only his defenses.

"I'm ready." Marcus nodded to the cart.

Wordlessly, Esca climbed onto the back of the cart. He saved room for Marcus, scarcely admitting to himself that he was hoping his friend would follow him. To his disappointment, however, Marcus took up the bridle of the oxen, and began to lead them to the market.

It was difficult for Esca to admit that he was sorry. Sorry to have argued with him, sorry to have said the things he had said. It was wrong of him to assume that Marcus wanted to control him. And, although it was what he wanted, he could not help but feel bad for leaving his old friend behind. They had been through so much together...how could he be so cruel?

It was for his family, he reminded himself. But Marcus was his family, too. Who was more important?

My wife and kids, Esca thought. Catia and Ari will always be my first priority. I love Marcus, but he's a grown man- he can take care of himself….

Right?

The truth was, Marcus was not always able to care of himself. Esca knew just how helpless he could be at times. Both emotionally, and physically. He might fall one day, down the stairs because of his leg, and if no one was around to hear or see him…

And what of his mental state? As much as Marcus might deny it, he needed the support. Esca knew that his friend thrived off of not attention, but off his own sense of usefulness. When he had someone who needed him, he thrived.

Esca knew what would happen to Marcus if he left. But what else could he do?

"Marcus," Esca broke the silence, moving himself to the front of the cart. "Let me speak."

"Say what you want." Marcus responded, keeping his eyes straight on the road ahead.

Esca forced himself to ignore the stinging tone of his voice. "Marcus, I'm doing this out of spite. I'm not doing this to hurt you."

"So you say."

Esca grimaced. He had to say this right, lest he incited another argument. "Marcus, I'm only doing this to help my family. To help Ari. She needs somewhere safe, somewhere she can,learn the ways of her parents. It's for you, too, Marcus."

Marcus glanced at him, a bitter light in his eyes. "Yes, because it is better to see me miserable and defeated."

"I'm not doing this to break you!" Esca snapped. He took a breath, burying his frustration. "Marcus, the day is coming for you to move on. It's time you started your own family, became your own master. Myself and my family get in your way. With us gone, you can build your own future."

I don't want my own future. I want the family I have now.

The words simmered inside of Marcus' head, but he did not speak them aloud. "Perhaps."

The sigh that escaped Esca's lips spoke volumes about his feelings. As much as he loved his friend, he could be impossible to talk to when he was in one of his moods.

"What do we need at the market?"

Marcus thought for a moment. "Plums. And some thread. Mainly, we need to drop off our items to the merchants."

Esca smiled. "Maybe we'll get enough money to build that training shed you wanted."

Marcus smirked, recalling the idea to build an exercise shed. "I would still love to do that. I think we should-"

"WHOA!"

Esca's cry came faster than Marcus' as they were nearly run off the road by a wagon, which barreled down the way they had come.

Marcus glared after the wagon, shouting obscenities as it disappeared out of sight. "No one knows how to drive a wagon." He grumbled.

Esca frowned. "Where is he going in such a hurry?"

"I'm...not sure…"

Esca watched the wagon rise over the next hill, then disappear again. "We should keep going. Maybe they were just late for something."

Marcus shrugged. He led the oxen on. Every so often, another wagon would rumble by. Each one full of food and valuables, supplies and people. At one point, a small contingent of soldiers marched past, forcing the pair to the side of the road.

"Where are you headed?" Marcus called.

The commander, a native to the area who knew Marcus well enough, reined in beside him. "To the east of the town. Apparently, there's some sort of disturbance a few miles to the west. I suggest the two of you go home."

The two exchanged a look.

"We'll go home after we drop off the grain." Marcus retorted.

The commander shrugged. "Your funeral, pal, not mine."

Marcus watched as the cohort marched ahead of them, passing through the city gates. This was odd to him.

"What do you think is going on?" Esca asked, watching as they neared the town gates.

Marcus shrugged. "Perhaps a rebellion…?"

Esca frowned again. That did not seem right. "Perhaps we should go back. Just in case."

Marcus shook his head. "No. We must deliver the grain, and gather our supplies."

"Marcus-"

"Esca," Marcus turned to him, a few feet from the gate. "I'm not ignoring the danger. I'm preparing for it."

"But, surely, we have nothing to fear." Esca asked hopefully.

.

Marcus could not answer for sure. "It is likely a riot of some sort. Can't be much more than that. Every tribe this side of the wall is at peace with Rome, and there are few hostilities on this end."

"Perhaps." Esca kicked the side of the cart. "But who can say?"

The cart rolled through the gate unhindered. The two guards manning the barred doors did not greet them as they trundle past, much to their surprise. Even more unusual, they found only a sparse number of guarding men along the length of the town wall. Where there use to be at least three cohorts, there was only half of one.

Inside the town, the scene was more than abnormal. Men and women and children were busy filling wagons with materials and animals. Some were busy boarding their windows and doors. A few men stood in the streets, screaming out about the end of the world. The sky held a dark sheen to it, gray clouds closing over the town. A flock of black ravens flew from the west, over the houses and the forum and the heads of Marcus and Esca.

They reached the market. It bustled with more activity than it ever did- even more than the days before a festival. People were filling full wagons of wheat and veggies, sacks of grain and bedding.

Marcus led the oxen to the stall of the merchant he always sold to. The man, surprisingly, was not present.

"Where's Trellis?" Esca asked, scratching his chin.

Marcus had not the faintest idea. "I suppose we'll just have to take our wheat back home."

Before Esca could reply, a man, his wife, and three children wandered over to their cart, pulling a cart of their own.

"Excuse me, sir, could we purchase your wheat?"

Marcus and Esca exchanged a look.

"Uhmm...yeah, we can do that." Marcus replied.

"Thank God," The man pulled his coin purse from his toga- a white toga with a purple stripe- he was a senator, it would appear. "How much?"

"Eighteen sestertii." Esca said before his friend could answer.

It was a high price; almost several months of pay, but the senator paid it without hesitation.

"Here," Esca took up a bushel, setting it into the man's cart. "Have you guests to cook for?"

The man looked at his wife, the both of them shaking their heads. "No. We're preparing to flee."

"Flee?" Marcus asked, glancing at Esca.

The man nodded. "Stories- terrible stories from the west. Monsters. Man-eating monsters are coming. They've already taken out scores of towns- ours is next."

Marcus could barely believe his ears. Monsters?

"Do you mean...barbarians?"

The man shook his head, his eyes holding a haunted look. "Barbarians, Romans- Greeks, even! They march through the towns, indiscriminately devouring any living creature,in their way."

Esca smirked, shaking his head. "You're insane, old man. Tell me, why are you really leaving?"

The man did not reply. He gave him a rueful look, then turned to his wife and kids. "Into,the cart- let's get moving. Hurry now, hurry!"

Esca watched the family trundle away, and snorted. "Old fool. Monsters eating the flesh of men? It's merely legend!"

Marcus did not answer.

"Marcus…?"

"We need to find Uncle Aquila." Marcus tires his gaze away from the fleeing family. "He'll know what's happening."

Esca frowned. "What about our plums?"

"Later." Marcus led the cart down a side street, heading for his uncle's villa. "I must speak with Uncle Aquila."

Esca sighed. He might not be a slave anymore, but sometimes, he was still forced to conform to his whims. Not out of bondage, but out of love. However, there always came a time when he knew his friend's ideas were unsound. He would speak up, but today, sensing Marcus' fear, he decided that it was better to indulge his anxieties rather than push them aside.

Besides, the old man had always been kind- if not an occasional bigot. Aquila had accepted Esca into the household upon their return, after Marcus had shared their story. It had taken the old man time to overcome the fact that Esca had been a slave, and was a barbarian; but, over time, he had come to like the young Briton, and had accepted him almost as a second nephew.

Still, he never let him forget his ancestry, which often prevented his feelings and ideas from being taken seriously.

But that was besides the point. If anyone would know what was happening, it would be Aquila.

Marcus stopped the oxen before his uncle's house. He left the reins with Esca, who shrugged and pulled a plum from his pocket- which he may or may not have nabbed from a display when no one was looking- and settled in for a snack.

"Uncle Aquila!" Marcus yelled up at the window, knocking on the door. "Uncle Aquila! I need to speak with you!"

The door creaked open, revealing the old- and terribly frightened- face of Stephanos, the old slave. His face was paler than usual, which spoke volumes of what he had to fear.

"M-Master Marcus. What brings you h-here?"

"I wish to speak with my uncle. Is he near?"

The old man hesitated, glancing to the western portion of the city. "Y-Yes, Master Marcus- come in, come in."

Marcus turned and nodded to Esca, who waved him off and bit into his plum.

"Don't be long!" He called after his friend, watching him disappear inside the villa.

His uncle's slaves rushed to and fro, boarding up windows and locking every entry and exit in the villa. Aquila himself was busy speaking to a servant girl, children huddled about her feet, ordering her and her brood to a safer part of the house.

"Master Aquila," Stephanos got his old master's attention, pointing to his nephew.

Aquila gave him a grim smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome, nephew. Come for an amphora of wine?" His sarcastic tone was added to by an incredulous laugh, which shook Marcus to his core.

"Uncle, what is happening? The streets are alive with fear, soldiers are running out and around the city, and ravens are taking flight above our heads- hundreds every hour! And now I hear tales of man-eating monsters from the West?"

Aquila's grim smile faded into a serious look. He nodded to Stephanos. "That new girl, with the children from Arabia- she doesn't speak Latin. Try to get her to the safe room."

"Yes, Master."

As Stephanos shuffled away, Aquila led his nephew to the side window, facing the West. "We're in trouble, Marcus. A plague unlike any other is coming- one that is certain to consume us."

"That can't be possible." Marcus shook his head, refusing to believe what was being said. "A plague?"

"That turns both man and beast into monsters. They're called Flesh-Eaters, Marcus, and they're heading for Calleva."

"That makes no sense."

"It does. The plague came from west of the Wall, carried on the bodies of barbarian refugees. It's been spreading like wildfire."

"Surely, you're not buying into this madness." Marcus sniffed his discontempt. "Things like that only happen in legend."

"Not so, I'm afraid." Aquila gestured to a man, a soldier, walking past the window, holding in his hands the severed head of another soldier, who had blue foam frothing from his mouth, his severed jaws still snapping st passers by.

Marcus stepped back, bile rising in his throat. "Gods! What is that!?"

"Proof of the monsters." Aquila said sadly. "The head once belonged to senior centurion Titus Avillus. He was in patrol when he and his men were attacked by a roving band of the creatures. He was the only one to escape- but he was bitten. He succumbed later, then rose from the dead to attack his brethren. He's being taken to the governor. Hopefully, he'll take the threat seriously."

"W-We need to run, to flee!" He turned to order one of the slaves to fetch baskets of supplies and load the cart outside, but was stopped by his uncle.

"We can't, Marcus. The roads are choked with travelers. Even if we could, there are too many of us to move. We're safer in this old place than we are out there."

"But, Uncle, you could flee with-"

"Marcus," Aquila put his hands on his shoulders, staring into his eyes. "It isn't safe. I suggest you, Esca, and his family leave to the East. There are boats waiting to carry people to safety in Rome. If you can reach there, you can make it."

Marcus felt his throat tighten with tears. "And...you're not coming with me?"

Aquila sighed. He bowed his head. "Marcus, the truth is, I am too old to run. I would only slow you down- and you already have your leg to worry about. It's better for me to stay here, and ride it out."

"But-"

"Go, Marcus!" Aquila shouted at him, shoving him toward the door. "Get out of here while you still can."

Tears in his eyes, Marcus hugged his uncle. "I love you, Uncle Aquila."

"I love you too, boy." Aquila sniffed back his own tears. "You must go now. Go. Save Esca and the others. And remember what I've taught you."

"I-I will."

With one last look at his beloved uncle, Marcus hobbled out the door. He mounted the wagon, motioning for Esca to do the same. His friend was too busy staring at a crowd, which had made a circle around a screaming man.

When Marcus saw the dead centurion's head latch onto the legionary's arm, he knew it was time to go.

He whipped the oxen and, pulling Esca along with him, barreled back toward the farm.


	3. The First Wave

"Marcus…"

"I know, I know!"

Marcus pulled harder on the reins, trying to drown out the sounds of screaming behind them. Around and before their cart were dozens of people, running for the exit of the city. The road was choked with wagons and carts, people on horses and cows, even on foot.

Ahead of them, the gate leaving the city was choked with people- three wagons were vying to get through, while the men guarding the exit strained to keep control of the situation.

"We're not going to make it through." Esca licked his lips nervously.

Marcus cursed, hitting his thigh. Behind him, the crowd seemed to cry out in a collective outburst. He soon saw the reason why.

From out of the alley came the mass of snapping flesh-eaters. They lunged at and,grabbed onto men, women, and children of all walks of life, biting into them and tearing chunks of flesh from their bodies.

He could not be sure, but Marcus thought he could see the body of the senator from earlier fall beneath the seething pile.

"We need to go, now!"

Marcus grabbed Esca by the wrist, pulling him from the cart. They ran toward the gate, sticking close as the screams of terror echoed around them.

"Oi!" One of the guards stopped them, his arms outstretched to catch them. "You can't leave this way! Go back inside! Stay insi-"

The guard screamed as one if the creatures appeared behind him, sinking its teeth into his neck. Esca and Marcus stumbled back as it tore a mouthful from his neck, dropping him like a stone.

It rose to its feet, red blood mixed with blue foam, and snarled.

Marcus gulped. "Esca…"

"RUN!"

Marcus dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws. Esca grabbed him and pulled him away as the dead man lunged again, sinking his teeth into Marcus' cape. He wrenched it off with a startled cry.

Esca grabbed his friend and pulled him past the dead man, weaving between him and two others as they burst through the gate. There was little time to speak- even less time to think. They just ran.

Keeping close to each other, the two weaved through the wagons, being jostled by others who fled from the savage beasts in the town. Each time he was shoved, Marcus would stumble- the old throb in his knee was back, stronger than ever. The pain pulsated through his leg with every step, causing him to wince. He could not keep running.

Esca knew this. He knew Marcus would not be able to outrun the monsters. They needed to find another escape.

Esca's sharp eyes spotted an overturned wagon ahead of them, its occupant currently being bitten by what appeared to be a young girl. For a brief moment, an image of Ari as that girl popped into his head, and he realized that both his child and his wife were still on the farm. They had likely not been warned, and could easily be being devoured as they spoke.

But there was no time to think about that. They could still be alive; and if there was any chance of saving them, he needed to stay alive now.

Grabbing Marcus by the shoulders, Esca shoved him inside the tipped wagon. He closed the curtain, then shoved the crates that had been inside of it against the opening. If they were heard, it was all over.

In the dark, the two huddled toward the back, keeping their eyes on the entrance. Marcus hated to admit it, but he was trembling- Esca was, too. These monsters were unlike anything they had ever seen before, and neither of them had the faintest idea about what to do.

The screams and moans of those unable to hide or flee filled their eyes, adding to the sound of the shrieking dead. Horses neighed and oxen brayed with groans of pain and terror.

A body fell against the wagon, knocking over the wall of crates. Marcus and Esca huddled into the darkest corner, ducking behind bushels of wheat. They had not been forced to hide in such since years earlier. The owner of the body, an old woman, jerked, blood and blue pus oozing from a bite on her arm. The two men watched in fear as she then froze, then rose to her feet, her moans echoing in the wagon.

This was almost too much for Marcus, who opened his mouth as if to cry out, only to have it covered by Esca's hand.

The old, now deceased, woman moved on, moaning as she went.

They waited in silence, listening as the moans and cries began to die.

"Should we-?"

Esca raised a hand to his lips, silencing his friend. He creeped onto his hands and knees, motioning for Marcus to stay still, in wait. With silent moves, Esca made his way to the entrance.

To his surprise, it was already early evening. The road was deserted- he could not see a thing. In the dim light, he could barely make out the edge of the town, and the gates- outlined by flames from behind.

"Come, Marcus."

Esca leaned into the wagon, helping his friend into the darkness of the night.

Marcus climbed free of the wagon, looking around him at the carnage. Most of the wagons had been overturned, with only a few untouched. Along the ground, blood gathered in pools and little streams, as if flowing away from the burning town. The carcasses of oxen and horses littered the road, a sprinkling of human limbs and pieces of flesh as company.

It was a sickening sight. His stomach churned, bile rising into his throat. Before he could stop himself, he was sick, his vomit mixing with the blood at his feet.

"We need to get back to the farm." Esca took his friend's wrist, pulling him away from the wagon.

The urgency in his tone was not lost on Marcus, but he could not bring himself to follow. His gaze landed back onto the burning town. Somewhere, amidst the dead and the flames, was his Uncle Aquila. Dead, he had no doubt. Dead, either through flames or the dead themselves.

"Marcus…"

Marcus turned to his friend, a wetness building in his eyes, which blurred his vision.

"Uncle Aquila…no…"

Esca put a hand on his shoulder, looking back at the fire. "Perhaps he...made it out."

Marcus sniffed, shaking his head. "No...Uncle Aquila is old, he's infirm...there's no way he made it.".

"Perhaps…" Esca tried to find words of comfort, but they slipped through his grasp.

What could he say? Uncle Aquila had been as a father to Marcus- and now, he was dead. If the dead had not gotten to him first, then he had perished in the fire. Perhaps, he had mercifully destroyed himself and his household before the end.

They would never know.

"Your uncle was a soldier, Marcus," Esca rubbed his friend's trembling back. "He would have died with a sword in his hand- the one he kept under his bed."

Marcus managed a smirk, despite the tears rolling down his cheeks. "H-How did you know about his sword…?"

Esca chuckled, gently pulling him away from the flaming town. "I knew a lot of things during my time in the Aquila household." He paused, then gave his friend a gentle nudge. "Come, Marcus; we must return home. We need to prepare."

"Wait; Catia and Ari-"

Esca nodded. Marcus sucked in a breath, forcing himself out of his misery. He could mourn Uncle Aquila later. Now, all that mattered was getting back to the farm alive- and finding Esca's family.

"It's too dangerous to go on foot." Marcus looked around them. Although he could see no traces of the dead, he had no doubt they still roamed in the darkness.

"What other choice to we have?"

Marcus' ears picked up the whiny of a horse a few yards ahead of them. "Looks like something survived, at least."

Esca approached the horse first. He grabbed its reigns, its wild eyes flashing in the dark.

"Shh...easy, pal, easy…"

Marcus looked around for another, but there was only the one. "He'll have to do. We'll need to double up."

In response, Esca lifted himself stop the horse. It have a whiny of pain, stamping its feet. Marcus hoisted himself up next. The horse swayed beneath the weight of the two men, braying out into the night.

Marcus winced. "He'll draw them to us."

Esca patted the horse's flank, whispering to it like he was soothing a baby. "He'll work, he'll work. Come on, walk."

The horse wobbled forward, finding its rhythm as it carried the two men down the road. They rode in silence, staring at the devastation along the path. Dozens more wagons were overturned- one was on fire. The bloated bodies,of slayed horses and people alike littered the ground.

A noise brought Marcus' attention to the left. A body, one of the dead, moved beneath a fallen wagon, its legs crushed beneath the weight. In the dying light, Marcus could see the blue foam pulse from its mouth as it reached for him, closing its hands on air as the two men made their way past it.

They stopped for a moment, looking down at the corps, which thrashed its arms as it tried to reach them, snarling.

"What could have caused this?" Marcus whispered to himself.

Esca shrugged. "Some sort of dark magic, it must be."

Marcus slipped off of the horse, reaching for the dagger he had hidden in his tunic.

"Careful, Marcus." Esca's voice whispered through the dark.

Marcus waved his hand at him, silencing his worries. He crept to the side of the living corpse, kneeling just out of reach. It snarled at him, snapping its jaws open and closed. White, milky eyes, which oozed blue-tinted blood bore into him. He found that its ears were dripping the same blood. The foam from its mouth frothed like the cap of an ocean wave, a drop of it landing on the ground before him. He winced, covering his nose as he detected a terrible odor emanating from the body. Crouching behind it, he took his dagger and plunged it into its back, above its heart. The corpse snarled and shook him off, narrowly missing his hand as it snapped at him.

"Marcus-"

"I'm fine," Marcus rose to his knees, frowning. The stab did not seem to affect the corpse at all- in fact, the only thing it had done was drain even more blue blood onto the stone road.

Esca frowned, leaning over the horse to see the struggling corpse. "It didn't kill it…"

Marcus hefted his dagger again, bringing it down into the corpse's skull. WIth a sickening crack, the blue blood and brain matter oozed out from around the blade. The corpse's jaw fell slack, and it landed face first in the mud.

"That's weird." Marcus' tone was level, but the fear that dripped from his voice was obvious enough.

Esca shifted on the horse's back, glancing over his shoulder. There was a shuffling coming from behind them; the sound of a hundred feet tripping in the grass. He had no doubts as to what it could be.

"There's more coming." He patted the back of the horse, motioning for his friend to climb back on. "We need to go."

Marcus nodded. He stabbed his sword into the dirt, using the grass to clean the blade. He sheathed it, and climbed up behind Esca.

It only took a short amount of time for the farm to appear in the distance, outlined against a blood-red moon.

Esca's heart pounded in his chest as it came into view. From what he could see, there were no corpses lumbering through the fields, nor pounding at the door. The lights were off, but that did not worry him. After all, Catia was smart; she would know that the lights would draw their attention.

"We're almost there." Esca pointed out the farm in the distance. "I'm going to run ahead and-"

The horse suddenly neighed beneath them- a long, drawn out sound that was unlike anything they had ever heard from a beast of burden. It kicked, its lithe body arching to throw the men off. The two tumbled to the ground, Marcus landing on his leg and barely suppressing a painful shout.

Esca was on his feet before his friend even had time to move. He grabbed the horse's reins, hushing it in an attempt to keep it silent. The horse shook its head, light blue froth beginning to bubble from its mouth as it jerked away from him. It was then that his eyes landed on the clotted-blue bite taken from its side.

"Gods, it's infected…" He breathed.

Marcus stumbled to his feet, grabbing onto Esca's shoulder for support. The horse gave another terrified whinney, crumbling to the ground with an echoing thud. Behind them, the rustling that Esca had been hearing for almost the entire ride become louder and faster. The sounds were accompanied by snarls and shrieks- the corpses were coming for them.

Esca turned, watching as the hairs along his neck prickled at the stumbling forms emerging from the darkness. Scores of milky eyes stared at them, a mindless hunger driving them on. Marcus gave a startled yell and scrambled back, grabbing Esca's arm as he went.

The two ran. They dove into the what field, pushing aside the stalks as they headed for the villa. All around them, corpses rose from where they had rested, reaching out to snatch at their ankles and snap at their exposed limbs.

Marcus stumbled, tripping over himself as his leg gave way. The prickling feeling in his muscles made the leg numb, allowing him to only feel the twinge. He turned himself onto his back, making to rise again when the shape of a corpse stumbled into him. It fell forward, mouth open, teeth snapping at his face. His cry split the night. He held it by its shoulders, pushing it away with all his might. Everything around his was blurred, the only thing his mind focused on the corpse's blue face.

The next thing he saw was Esca's booted foot swinging into the corpse's head. Its neck snapped, the force of the kick enough to fling it off of him. Marcus had little time to watch it as his friend dragged him to his feet, putting his arm over his shoulder to pull him along.

"We're almost there!" Esca yelled, even though his friend was right beside him. "Keep going!"

All around them, the corpses trudged toward their position, forcing them to duck and weave their way toward the villa gate. When they reached it, Esca pulled his friend inside, slamming the gate as a corpse bit into the metal bars. They flew over the path, the front door in sight. He pushed it open, only to find a corpse on the other side.

It threw itself at them, causing both men to scream. What looked like a plank of wood rose up behind it, slamming down on its head in a splatter of brains and blood.

Catia rose up from behind the corpse, breathing deeply as she hefted the plank to swing again.

"Wait!" Esca raised his hands in defense.

Catia stared at him for a moment, then let the wood fall. "Esca!" She ran into his arms, wrapping her own arms around him.

Esca held her close, burying his head in her hair. "I was worried- I thought you might be-"

"I'm not, you big wolf," Catia pulled away from him, a smirk on her bloodied face. She looked over at Marcus, offering him a smile of greeting. "Good to see you in one piece."

Marcus did not return the smile. His eyes were glued to the moving shapes in the field, which were heading toward the villa in one large herd. It would not be long before they burst through the gate. As he thought this, he heard the metal moan as it was beant.

"We need to go!"

Esca took hold of his wife's shoulders. "Where's Ari?"

Catia opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a childish scream from above them.

"Ari!"

Before the other two could react, Marcus was already dragging his limping body up the stairs. He reached for his dagger as he threw himself into the upstairs library. He spotted young Ari, tunic torn about her knees, pulling herself onto one of the many honeycombed shelves. Below her was a corpse, reaching up with his bloodied hands to grab her.

Marcus launched himself at the enemy, grabbing it as it fell. He sank his blade into its head, once again met with the juicy crack. He kicked the body aside, looking around for any other threats. There were none.

"Uncle Marcus!" Ari's voice cried, bursting into fearful tears.

Marcus lifted his arms, letting her fall into them. He caught her, hugging her tight as he rocked on his feet, ignoring the pain in his leg.

"Uncle Marcus!" Her wail broke through the darkness as he held her tight, away from the horror at the window.

"Shh...it's okay, Ari, you're okay." He gently kissed the top of her head, bouncing the child in an attempt to soothe her. "You're safe now."

"Uncle Marcus, wh-what were they?" She sniffled, clinging to him like a baby monkey.

Marcus did not have the faintest idea how he could explain the situation to her. She was so young, so innocent...would she even understand?

"They're...monsters, Ari. But don't worry; I won't let then hurt you, understand?"

Below them, the dreadful sound of the front door bursting open filled his ears, along with a low, collective moan. A peeling scream- Catia?- ripped through the house.

Ari screamed out for her parents as Marcus shoved her into the corner, standing between her and the door, blade ready. Catia and Esca came tumbling into the room, Esca slamming the door closed behind him.

"Mummy!" Ari reached for her mother, who took her and held her close, shushing her panicked cries.

With his arms free, Marcus wasted little time helping his friend push and stack the furniture in the room against the door. No sooner was the last wooden desk in place, did the door began to shudder.

"They got through," Esca panted, a barely visible shake in his voice. "Right through the door, Marcus. They broke it down."

"How many?" Marcus dreaded the answer.

Esca swallowed, staring at the shaking door. "More than a score."

Marcus swore under his breath. He prayed that the door would be enough to hold them back. But then what? Those monsters were voracious; they would not be stopped by a mere door.

"We can't stay here."

Eaca rounded on him, his stress turning into anger as he snapped at his friend. "What else are we supposed to do? The fields are crawling with them!"

Although he was not in the slightest angry, the stress of the situation and the way his friend yelled at him boiled his blood. "You think I don't know this!? What other choice do we have, Esca!? Any minute now those things will breach the door and kill us all!"

"Don't say that!" Catia's voice screeched at them. It had little effect as the two men faced each other, almost nose to nose.

"We shouldn't have left in the first place!" Esca snarled. "We could've stayed here and had time to prepare! But you wanted to go to the market!"

"What else would I have done!?" Marcus' voice shrieked back. "We always go to the market! It was a regular day, you can't blame me for that!"

Esca glowered at him, a new accusation building in his chest. His head told him to not date to speak it, but his heart gave him no choice.

"IF YOU HADN'T BEEN SO SELFISH AS TO FORCE MY FAMILY TO STAY, WE COULD BE SAFE!"

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but he had no words to give. The sounds around him, although mostly muffled, stirred his world like a maiden's wooden spoon. Esca's strangled breathing as he simmered in his anger, Catia's angry mutters directed at the two men, Ari's weeping and the thumping of the dead against the door.

Esca took a moment to breath. He could barely believe what he had just said to his friend. But his pride stopped him from apologizing, and he turned away from him, moving to his wife and child.

"Esca-"

"Hush, Catia." Esca held a finger to his lips.

His wife glared at him, rising to her feet. "No. I did not ask you to speak. I asked you to hear." She set Ari down, ignoring her as she moved to be picked up again. "Marcus is right. We need to leave hear. That door is strong but not the strongest in the villa. It won't hold forever. We need to find a way out."

"What way?" Esca's voice sounded hopeless, as if he was out of ideas.

"We keep the bedsheets in the chest in the back, don't we?"

Esca nodded, a smile creeping onto his face as he began to register her plan.

"We take them, and make a climbing rope,to scale the side of the wall. We climb upon the roof, out off their reach, then wait for them to leave."

"Sounds like our best option." Esca turned to Marcus. "What do you think?"

Marcus said nothing. Wirelessly, he made his way to the chest, unfolding the cream-colored sheets and setting them on the floor.

Esca sighed, exchanging a look with his wife. Catia picked up Ari, nodding for her husband to help. But Marcus was already done.

"Start going to the window." He instructed softly. "Don't fall out."

Catia moved to the window first, clutching Ari close to her. Esca came next, trailing the crudely fashioned rope behind him. Marcus took up the rear, his dagger in hand, guarding the door as his friends made for safety.

"Go on, Ari, go on," Catia urged, giving her daughter a slight push toward the window.

"No!" Ari wailed.

In response, Esca lifted her onto his shoulders, and headed for the window. Catia took up the rope sheets and threw them onto one of the curved roof decorations.

Esca scrambled up the rope, making sure Ari was secure. He pulled himself up and onto the roof, the cool night air rushing against his face. He set Ari down.

"Stay put, in the middle."

Ari nodded, curling into a ball on top of the roof. Esca moved back over the edge of the roof, helping Catia up. He risked a glance at the nearly two story drop below them; which was riddled with the undead.

The sound of the wooden door snapping off its hinges and a yell from Marcus accompanied Catia as she lifted herself onto the roof.

Esca leaned over the edge, watching his friend scramble desperately up the rope, his bad leg making it difficult for him to get a grip. One of the dead grabbed his leg, receiving a sharp kick to the face.

With the help of Esca, Marcus pulled himself onto the roof, panting. Little Ari ran to him with a squeal, dropping on top of him with a hug.

The four huddled together in the middle of the roof, the sounds of the dead echoing below them. In the distance, they could see a flash of blue- almost unearthly- and could not help but wonder what other terrors the universe had in store.

Their perfect little world was crumbling around them, even if they did not know to what extent.


End file.
